Game Recap: 3 Thoughts on Grizzlies Beating Lakers

3. Byron Scott is doing a good job under the circumstances

Its not a stretch to say that at times the best coaching jobs come in losing situations. The Lakers were humiliated in its first two games and has clawed its way back to competitiveness even though still heavily undermanned. With the roster he was given, Scott would have to had everything go perfectly for the Lakers to be successful.

The injuries to Nick Young, Xavier Henry, and Ryan Kelly to start the year has made a difficult situation worse. All three players were expected to be rotation players. The lack of any punch from the bench has been glaring in the last few games as the starters have gotten their act together. Last season the Lakers had one of the best benches in the league.

The high point for the Lakers season to date has been that the team is playing hard and making a game of it against quality competition. That speaks well to the relationship between the coaching staff and players. As the Laker’s schedule eases and some of the roster gets back into action, the Lakers realistically can put together some wins. The on court chemistry of late has been markedly improved and more players are getting involved. This is a testament to Scott.

The return of Nick Young won’t solve even half of the Lakers’ structural issues but it will make them a decidedly more dangerous team. How Scott manages more minutes for scrappy players like Wayne Ellington and Jordan Clarkson while getting better use of starters like Johnson and Lin will ultimately define the season.

Its early enough that the team can recover from a poor start. The key question is whether there is room for on court improvement with this team or are they at their ceiling. Scott’s rotations, schemes, and minute allocation play a large part in answering that question. So far, being dealt a crappy hand, Scott has shown grit and its filtered down to the players.